Proposal for merger of medical, engineering entrance tests

The Minister of Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal’s proposal to merge All India Pre Medical Test and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination will be a welcome relief for thousands of students seeking admission to professional colleges. Both the examinations are conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education. 

The proposal, made by the minister at the meeting of the state education ministers on June, 18 is already under the consideration of the Central government. If it materialises, the merger will save lot of time and energy of the students on the one hand and streamline the admission process on the other.

Addressing media persons after the meeting, Sibal said: 

“This is being done to reduce the multiplicity of entry to higher education institutions and to save the students from sitting for two separate exams.” 

 

With the merger of the two examinations students also have the option to write both the tests as physics and chemistry would be common for both tests. While medical student will answer only the biology paper, the engineering student will answer only maths. 

However, the minister has assured that before going ahead with the proposed merger plan his ministry will hold consultations with experts in this regard. Once the scheme gets the approval of all concerned the ministry will work out modalities. If these formalities are done on time, the common entrance test from the next academic year.

The common entrance test, according to Sibal, would be general awareness and aptitude test for the students after Class XII for entrance to professional institutions. The eligibility criteria for admission, he said would be based on both Class XII marks together with the marks obtained in the common entrance test.

Sibal further said that a mathematical formula for weightage can be used to equalise the marks of different Boards. In this context he pointed out that the Council of Boards of School Education council has already devised the common core curriculum to remove disparity of syllabi for science and maths. Hence the states would not have any compunction to implement the common entrance test. 

The minister observed:

“This will give an opportunity to children from economically weaker sections who are not able to avail coaching, to get through the current system of entrance exams.'' 

He said the main purpose of the proposed common entrance test is to benefit the poor and the underprivileged. The present system is not helpful to these students.